Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during a foundation stone laying programme for various development projects in Solapur, Maharashtra, on Jan 9, 2019.

Solapur (Maharashtra): Kicking off the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha campaign in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday targeted the Congress, accusing it of corruption and warned that "this Chowkidar (watchman) will never sleep and continue to catch thieves".

"Should the 'chowkidar' go ahead courageously or not? He never sleeps. However dark it may be, he goes to catch thieves. It is your blessings which gives him the strength to do this and he (chowkidar) will continue undeterred in the fight against graft. He will make them accountable for every paise belonging to the country," Modi thundered at a public rally.

"Those who believed that power was their 'dynastic right' are now in the docks facing various corruption charges, ranging from tax evasion to commissions in defence deals. Our government has stopped all this. They are panicky and trying to scare me," Modi said.

He said the recently deported James Christian Michel had made many "shocking revelations" and according to media reports he was also lobbying for other companies' fighter jets.

"Now, we have to investigate how the Congress is involved in all this. They are spreading lies about me and trying to scare me, but this is Modi and he is made of different material altogether," Modi said, appealing for public support to his war against corruption.

Earlier, he said that the upper castes quota bill passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday was a "historic decision" and a slap on the face of those spreading lies and indulging in 'minority quota politics.'

"Lies were being spread that the reservations available to Dalits, tribals and OBCs were sought to be removed... by those playing 'minority quota politics'. But we have ensured that none of these are disturbed and given an additional 10 percent. This is a fitting reply to those spreading canards," said Modi.

Modi also discussed at length the various achievements and development initiatives of the BJP government in the past four years as compared to the "previous (UPA) government which was remote-controlled" and hence its decisions remained merely on paper.

Arriving in Solapur on Wednesday, he laid the foundation stones for a 30,000 unit housing project for the poor and a combined project to improve water supply and sanitation under the Area Based Development of Solapur Smart City, inaugurated a 58-km long stretch of the National Highway No 52 linking Solapur-Tuljapur-Osmanabad and unveiled an underground sewerage system and three sewage treatment plants.